


Tales of Valor

by Kizmet



Series: Prelude: Putting the Dys in Functional [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Asgardian Speech, BAMF Tony Stark, Gen, Post-Avengers (2012), Team Dynamics, Tony Stark Defense Squad, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 22:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kizmet/pseuds/Kizmet
Summary: Thor retells the events of the Attack on the Helicarrier and the Battle of Manhattan to Darcy Lewis in full Asgardian tradition while she interjects her observations.





	Tales of Valor

_“And lo!” Thor’s voice boomed grandly, filling Jane Foster’s little apartment well past its capacity. Darcy ducked under Thor’s broadly gesturing arm. “The evil scepter that had twisted my poor brother’s mind began to work it’s will on Midgard’s ragged band of defenders. Harsh words tore at the frail young bonds between them.”_

“Man of Fury, how darest thou create weapons from the Tesseract?” demanded Son of Stark and the Brave Captain.

_“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what they said,” Darcy snorted._

_“Who is telling this story?” Thor huffed. “It is a bard’s prerogative to addess any shortcomings in his heroes’ discourse. The essence of what was said remains true.”_

_“So you’re telling the story in proper Asgardian tradition?” Darcy snickered._

_“Verily,” Thor agreed, unperturbed._

Man of Fury, spurred on by scepter, responded to their accusations by sowing discord. First he did lay the blame for his misdeeds on me but none rose to take the bait. Then he did cast aspersion on the Son of Stark, saying, “After all the benefits thou hast reaped from the making of weapons, how darst thou stand in judgement of my handiwork?”

Readily did the Captain agree, “Stark, thou art no better than the Man of Fury!”

Stark retorted, “My past hast no bearing on the charges lain at the feet of  the Man of Fury!”

_“Go Tony!” Darcy cheered. “Don’t let that sucker weasel off the hook!”_

Greatly was I dismayed to see how easily my new comrades did turn on one another. “Ye speak of control, yet ye court chaos!” said I.

“We are no team,” declared the good doctor Banner. “We are the base components of an elixir called calamity!”

“Good Doctor, calm yourself lest thou unleash the Beast upon us,” cried Fury.

“I hold no fear of the dread Beast,” claimed Stark. “For it is thee, Man of Fury, who would have summoned his wrath… Unless thou wishest to rethink thy evasive answers?”

“Son of Stark! Think of the many thralls aboard this great vessel,” cried the Captain. “Thee wilt stand down.”

“Is that thy gauntlet thrown down, Captain?” demanded Stark.

“Was I not clear enough,” sneered the Captain. “Without thy enchanted armor thou art nothing, Stark.”

“With or without mine armor,” answered Stark. “I have followed in Odin’s footsteps sacrificed myself to myself to peer into the mysteries of the Universe, I am a High Jarl and virile.”

_“Huh?” Darcy broke in._

_“To be frank, All-Speech has some difficulty with Friend Stark,” Thor admitted. “What I heard, plainly said, is that he is a noble, an inspired being and a lover of many.”_

_“Okay, that helps. Back to the story.”_

“What tales I have heard of thee betokens a base nature,” the Captain impugned. “Son of Stark, I judge that thou art no true shield-brother and a blight on thy father’s name.”

“I am a weaver and cutter of the threads of fate,” Stark declared. “What need have I to lay down and be a bridge for others to walk over?”

“So thou confesses to being ergi, no true man?” the Captain asked in triumph.

“A man like thee? Who owes all his prowess to the weavings of another?” Stark retorted spitefully. “Thou art not but a fraud.”

Afore their words could escalate to blows S.H.I.E.L.D.’s great vessel came under attack from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own Hawk who’s heart had been thoroughly ensnared by the scepter. The attack did bring forth the Good Doctor’s beast. At the last moment, ere he could smash the the fair Lady Natasha, I raised my hammer-

_“You like living dangerously,” Darcy remarked._

_“I did rescue her,” Thor protested._

_“Yeah, I’m sure. But I’ve got a feeling that she’s the sort who’d poison your pop tarts over getting the damsel in distress treatment in your retelling.”_

_“I saw not her battle with the beast, how could I tell of it?” Thor said. “But perhaps you are correct that I should dwell not on this part of the story as I cannot do justice to her spirit as a warrior.”_

I engaged in glorious battle with the legendary Midgardian beast. Mighty blows were exchanged between us until S.H.I.E.L.D. did give attack and lure the beast from their vessel ere he could tear it from the sky.

Robbed of my battle I went hence to see what misfortune my brother had wrought. By trickery most foul, he ensnared me in the very cage S.H.I.E.L.D. had consigned him to. My brother’s heart, always full of mischief, had been steeped in malice. His true self yet to be recovered from the void whither he’d fallen-

_“Laying it on a little thick?” Darcy asked._

_“My brother perished saving my life,” Thor said gravely. “I can only think that it was only the madness inflicted upon him that I encountered on Midgard that day and not my brother Loki. I have seen, all too late, that my mother’s wisdom far exceeded my own as she sought to reach Loki and draw him back to us when Father and I cast him off, believed him nothing but a monster.”_

In his madness Loki did murder the Son of Coul before my very eyes, stabbing him in the back. As I raged helplessly, caged like a beast, my poor deluded brother cast me from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s vessel. In mortal danger, I battered the unbreachable walls of my cage, until with all my force I flung Mjolnir and myself at the wall. It was a mighty blow, no forging of Midgard could withstand it! But I fell far afield.

Whilst I was cast adrift the portal was completed and the Chitauri, the army that had made my Brother their figurehead, took the field. The Son of Stark was the first to engage them in battle but he was soon joined by the Captain, the Hawk and the Warrior Maid Natasha. As they battled the Chitauri in the air I confronted my brother on the balcony of Stark’s castle. I was blindered and Loki was deep in the madness that had been thrust upon him, my words failed to reach him and we rapidly fell to blows-

_“The way I hear it, you and Loki were always beating the crap out of each other since, like, forever. No shame, that’s how some brothers relate… Of course, most outgrow it with adolescence-“_

_“Perhaps that is why Mother was never discouraged,” Thor said thoughtfully. “She saw the end of our quarrels in sight.”_

_“Seriously?” Darcy gaped._

_“What?” Thor asked innocently._

Loki and I fought a top the tower. For but a moment I lowered my guard. Loki did stab me with a small dagger and escaped into the chaos of the battle. I joined the Captain and the esteemed warriors of thy people as they battle the Chitauri in the streets while the Man of Iron met the Chitauri Leviathan in the air above us. Last but certainly not least, the Good Doctor joined us. “Great Midgardian Beast, I bring thee a worthy foe,” saith Stark. And the Doctor released his beast, who smolt the Leviathan mightily.

Then we, the Avengers did assemble and Stark did recognize the brave Captain as our leader.

On the Captain’s orders I choose a lofty tower and drew upon the lightning as I never had before. I channeled the fierce, untamed energy through my body and flung it in an immense bolt into the portal, slaying TWO Leviathan before they could taint Midgard’s skies with their presence.

The Avengers stood their ground and Chitauri fell like flies before us. Atop one Leviathan, the Midgard Beast and I battled as a single unit. We dispensed with the foot soldiers then the Beast ripped a piece of the Leviathan’s own armor from it and stabbed at it with it. With my hammer I drove the makeshift stake home and the monstrous whale ship died. But for every Chitauri that perished three more entered the fray.

The leaders of Midgard-

_“Secret, completely illegal shadow cabal you mean,” Darcy said._

_“You would know better than I,” Thor allowed._

It was our bleakest hour. The Man of Fury’s shadowy masters lost heart even as the Warrior Maid Natasha commandeered one of the Chitauri Chariots and Friend Selvig regained himself. They gave order that a terrible weapon be turned on their own city in desperate hope that they could halt the invasion even if it was at the cost of the the great city of Manhattan.

And then! Maid Natasha did cry! “Victory! I canst close the portal and end this dread invasion!”

But the lo, the weapon had already been fired. For sooth! Dire would it have been had the Avengers overcome the threat of Chitauri only for the city to be annihilated by the fear and lack of faith of those who should have been the patrons of their protectors.

The doomsday device streaked toward the city. Man of Iron fought free of the Chitauri and rose like the phoenix to intercept it. He took death on his shoulders and guided it away from Midgard, toward the portal… To the realm of the Chitauri.

“Stark, this quest thee wilt not survive!” warned the Captain.

Stark did not reply. He flew the doomsday device through the portal and vanished into its depths. The Chitauri fell and we knew we’d carried the day but we were not yet ready to count the cost.

We fixed our eyes on the sky, hoping that Stark would return. But the sky remained empty. “Close the portal,” the Captain ordered with a heart most heavy for he realized that he, that we all had misjudged the Son of Stark. There would be no chance to amend the harsh judgement that had been passed on him... For Man of Iron had died the hero the Captain had deemed him too base to be.

And then! Even as the portal closed, a speck of red and gold was seen! Plunging back towards Midgard! Had Man of Iron survived or had we only been granted a body to lay to rest? As I prepared to take flight, the great Midgard Beast leapt and intercepted the Man of Iron as he fell!

_“Wait, back up a bit there,” Darcy said._

_“I have just come to the dramatic climax!” Thor protested. “How can you interrupt now when you know not whether Friend Stark lived or if he would perish never knowing that he had saved Midgard and won our regard that day?”_

_“Saw Tony Stark on the TV the other day unveiling a new product line for SI. I’m pretty sure he makes it out okay,” Darcy said dryly._

_“You are a terrible audience,” Thor declared._

_“But what I’m curious about is this: Why’s Tony Stark the only one that’s got to prove himself? Did I miss the part where Steve Rogers proved that there was more to him than the super steroids Erskine shot him up with?”_

_“Friend Stark’s accusations were merely the scepter’s work, spurring on his injured feelings and jealousy against our Captain, nothing to be taken seriously,” Thor said dismissively._

_“But Steve Roger’s accusation that Tony Stark wasn’t a hero? That wasn’t nonsense, feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty raised to a heightened level by the scepter? That was a serious accusation and Tony had to go through with what you all thought was a kamikaze mission before any of you would reconsider your opinion of him?” Darcy shook her head._

_Thor scratched at his chin awkwardly._

_“You know, that kind of makes you guys all supporting cast in Tony Stark’s heroic journey, I mean if he’s the only one who has to prove himself and so forth,” Darcy added as she turned and sauntered away._

_"But I have other tales where Friend Stark is not present!" Thor protested as he hurried after her._

_"Mmmhmm," Darcy agreed skeptically as she continued on her way._

 


End file.
